The 4G smartphone for the price of a pint of milk: EE kickstarts superfast internet war

EE said on Wednesday night the issue had been resolved for ‘many of those affected’ (Picture: EE)

Mobile phone operator EE has kickstarted a superfast internet war by launching a 4G smartphone it says costs less than a pint of milk.

The company has unveiled its budget Kestrel handset which it will give away free with a two-year contract, costing £13.99 a month.

It claims the daily cost, of less than a 79p pint of milk, will ‘make a quality 4G experience accessible to all’.

However, there are fears the move could place huge strains on the EE network, which last week was hit by a widespread signal outage blamed on ‘gremlins in the system’.

Ernest Doku, from uSwitch.com, said: ‘EE is really attempting to remove the barriers to 4G, being the first to deliver superfast internet at a price to court the casual consumer.

‘However, our research shows customers still worry about maxing out their monthly data allowances. Faster browsing and streaming mean it’s very easy to burn through data on 4G.’

A 4G network can offer mobile download speeds up to seven times faster than those on 3G.

EE’s Kestrel handset, made in China by Huawei, comes with a 5-megapixel camera, HD voice calls and a 1.2Ghz quad-core processor. It costs £99 with a pay-as-you go contract, supposedly making it Britain’s cheapest 4G phone.

EE added: ‘Those that join us can be assured of our network’s ability to support millions of 4G customers without impacting the superfast experience.’

Experts are not convinced other operators will rush to follow suit. TechRadar’s Gareth Beavis said: ‘The new Kestrel from EE seems like a good deal but only if you’re really into 4G.’